Canarian Rum Guide: From Ron Miel to Ron Aldea

Most tourists arrive in Lanzarote expecting wine, and some expect craft beer. Very few expect to leave with a bottle of honey rum in their suitcase. Yet every week someone at our counter in Marina Rubicon asks what the local rum is and whether it's any good. So here's the answer, written the way we'd explain it across the counter.

Canarian rum is a real thing. Ron miel is the style you'll hear about most, and it's a lot more useful than the sticky souvenir bottles you see in airport shops. Here's what you need to know.

Why the Canary Islands make rum at all

Sugar cane has been grown in the Canary Islands since the 15th century. Sugar was one of the early money crops here, and where there's cane there's usually a still. Gran Canaria is the island most associated with rum, and the Arehucas distillery in Arucas, founded in 1884, is probably the best-known name in the archipelago.

Rum from the islands is made in a Spanish-Caribbean style rather than the heavy, funky Jamaican style. Think smooth, a little sweet, easy to drink. That suits the climate. Nobody wants a punishing, smoky spirit when it's 27 degrees at 6pm.

Lanzarote itself is better known for volcanic wine from La Geria and for craft beer from breweries like Malpeis in Tinajo and NAO in Arrecife. Most Canarian rum on our shelves comes from other islands, and we think that's worth saying plainly. If anyone tells you a bottle is made in Lanzarote, ask where the cane was grown.

What ron miel actually is

Ron miel means honey rum. It's rum sweetened and flavoured with honey, and it's one of the most typical drinks of the Canaries. It's softer and sweeter than a standard rum, which is why plenty of people who say they don't like rum end up liking it.

It isn't a creamy liqueur and it isn't a spiced rum in the Captain Morgan sense. It tastes of honey first, then a little caramel and vanilla, with the rum warmth arriving at the end. It's usually bottled at a lower strength than straight rum, though that varies between producers, so check the label.

Locals will tell you to try it after a big meal. You see it on restaurant digestif trays all over the islands, usually sitting next to the other local favourites.

How we'd suggest drinking it

• Over ice, after dinner. The classic way. A generous measure, a few cubes and ten minutes of doing nothing.
• With a slice of orange or lemon. It cuts the sweetness and makes it feel lighter in hot weather.
• Over vanilla ice cream. Sounds like a gimmick, works every time.
• Splashed into coffee. Better in the evening than at breakfast, obviously.

One thing to be clear about. The only cocktail-type drinks we make on our terrace are Sangria and Aperol Spritz, so we won't be shaking you a honey rum mojito. We do serve spirits with mixers, so a rum and coke is on the list, and if you'd like to talk through the rum options before you buy, just ask.

Where Ron Aldea fits in

Ron Aldea is one of the Canarian honey rum names that comes up when people ask us about island rum beyond the big brands. It sits in the ron miel style, so expect it to be sweet, smooth and honey-led rather than dry and sharp.

We'd rather you read the label than take our word for the finer details. The back of any bottle tells you the producer, the strength and where it was made, and we don't want to guess at those for you. That goes for any bottle you pick up, in our shop or anyone else's.

The honest advice is this. If you like a sweeter after-dinner drink, a bottle like this is worth trying. If you only drink dry, sharp spirits, you'll probably be happier with an aged rum instead. Not every bottle suits every person, and we'd rather tell you that than sell you something that sits in a cupboard.

Ron miel versus other Canarian rums

People often get muddled here, so it helps to break it down.

• Ron miel: sweetened with honey, softer, usually lower in strength. The tourist favourite, and fair enough.
• White rum (ron blanco): light and clean, mostly used for mixing. This is what goes into a rum and coke.
• Aged rum (ron añejo): darker, smoother, meant for sipping. It usually costs more, and it's what we'd reach for if someone said they normally drink whisky or brandy.

A decent rule of thumb. Buy ron miel as a present, buy an aged rum for yourself, and keep a white rum around if you plan to mix drinks on a holiday apartment balcony.

What to eat with Canarian rum

Honey rum goes better with food than people expect, particularly with desserts. These are the pairings we'd suggest to customers.

• Almond cake or anything with almonds. Honey and nuts is hard to beat.
• Dark chocolate. Go for a high cocoa bar so it isn't sweet on sweet.
• Cured goat's cheese. Salty and sweet does the same trick it does with port.
• Flan or quesillo, which you'll find on almost every Canarian dessert menu.

Aged rum sits well with a cigar if that's your thing, though we're not a cigar shop and won't pretend otherwise.

Rum, wine and beer on the same shelf

We're a wine, spirits and craft beer shop, so the rum conversation often drifts. Someone who loves the sweetness of ron miel might enjoy the Yaiza Semi-Dulce on our Yaiza Board. Someone who likes the dark, caramel side of an aged rum often goes for a heavier red, and our Red Board (Yaiza Tinto, Volcano, Ribera and Rioja) is a good way to find out what suits you.

If you're a beer person, Malpeis Lapilli Imperial Stout at 10% is the closest thing we sell to a dessert drink in a bottle. It's a long way from rum, but customers who like strong, dark and sweet flavours often enjoy both.

Buying rum in Playa Blanca and taking it home

Spirits are cheaper in the Canary Islands than in the UK and much of Europe because of the islands' different indirect tax regime. That's the main reason tourists stock up before they fly home. Check the allowance for the country you're flying to first, because limits on spirits are stricter than people think, and customs officers don't care that you were on holiday.

Think about luggage too. A glass bottle in a checked case needs proper wrapping. Clothes help, a sock over the neck helps, and a hard-sided case helps most. If you're travelling hand-luggage only, liquids over 100ml can't go through security, so either buy after security or pack the bottle in the hold.

At Brunchi.shop we'd rather talk you through a few options than push a bottle. Tell us whether you like sweet or dry, whether it's a present or for you, and how it's getting home, and we'll point you at something sensible.

Rum as a gift

A bottle of ron miel makes an easy present because almost everyone likes it, including people who think they don't like rum.

Finding us

You'll find Brunchi.shop at Calle El Burrugo 44B, Marina Rubicon, Playa Blanca. We're open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 3pm and 6pm to 10pm, and closed all day Sunday, so don't leave your rum shopping for the last morning if your flight is on a Monday. Questions before you visit? Send us an email at consultas@brunchi.shop and we'll tell you what's on the shelf.